The jump is made from 12,000ft and includes a free-fall of 30-40 seconds before your instructor opens your parachute. You will be given an opportunity to steer, however the instructor will remain in control at all times. You can view a skydive video over on the skydive page by clicking here.

The jump will take place at Skydive Headcorn which is located in the heart of Kent, during your skydive you will experience incredible views of the south east of England and glimpses of the northern coast of France.

Skydive Headcorn is located at: Headcorn Airfield, Headcorn, Ashford, Kent TN27 9HX.

By jumping as part of Team Pilgrims we ask that you to pledge to raise at least £395 in sponsorship. Your fundraising will cover the cost of all the medicine used at one of our inpatient units for 4 days! Your £40 deposit is non-refundable but goes towards your fundraising. The more you raise, the more money can go to those in our community living with an incurable illness.

You can hire a qualified skydive cameraperson to jump with you and record your experience, this is at an additional cost of £150 to you. You cannot use your fundraising to pay for the photography costs. A USB will be produced with an edited video of your jump plus all the raw footage and about 30-50 still photographs all in HD. BPA regulations do not allow you to wear or take your own camera on the tandem skydive.

For safety reasons the general weight limit full clothed for a tandem skydiver is 86kg / 13.5st; however this limit is proportional to height. A lower weight limit of 80kg / 12st 9lbs applies to someone who is 1.57m / 5’2” or shorter. However, if you are 1.72m / 5’7” or taller the absolute limit is 92kg / 14.5st. You may be weighed during registration, and Skydive Headcorn reserve the right to refuse your jump if you exceed these limits. The limits are set for the safety of you and your instructor.

Skydiving is a weather dependent sport. The conditions required by Skydive Headcorn to be able to take you on a tandem skydive are good horizontal visibility, no solid cloud between the landing area and the exit point of the aircraft and wind no more than 20 knots. Weather can unfortunately prevent tandem skydives taking place at a certain time, however it’s important to remember that Skydive Headcorn ask you to be available for 6 hours on the day of your jump so that they can make the most of any weather opportunities, as we all know it can change suddenly. If the weather prevents your jump from taking place Skydive Headcorn will work with you to reorganise the jump for a mutually agreed date within 6 months, if it’s after 6 months you will incur extra fees.

On the day of your jump you must arrive at the skydive centre unless you have been told directly by Skydive Headcorn that your jump has been cancelled. If you do not turn up for the jump you will forfeit your jump spot and Pilgrims will incur the cost.

Upon arrival at the airfield at your designate time (8:30, 11:00 or 13:00) you will need to register at the Tandem Meeting Point. This is necessary to determine the order in which you will jump. This is where you will be given the opportunity to book a cameraperson to jump with you and film your experience (at an additional cost to you of £150). After registering you will complete the necessary paperwork. When the whole group have completed their registration forms you will begin your training, this will last about 30-40 minutes. Provided the weather is suitable, you are then ready to take on your jump! Jumps take place in the order of your registration at the Tandem Meeting Point.

On the day, a member of Pilgrims Hospices will be at Skydive Headcorn to wish you good luck!

Headcorn Parachute Club operates one aircraft at a time which can make up to 20+ flights a day. There can be up to forty people booked for tandem skydives and up to eight instructors available to assist the jumps. Each instructor will jump around four to five people a day. After each jump the instructor will have to repack his parachute which takes a dedicated amount of time to ensure all equipment is prepared correctly. It is also important to remember that although an aircraft can hold up to 14 people, Skydive Headcorn never guarantee jumping more than two tandem skydivers at any one time.

The team at Skydive Headcorn work hard to ensure that the day runs smoothly and that everyone is able to complete their tandem skydive and to have a great experience whilst doing so. 

We would of course love for you to share this crazy challenge with your family and friends. There is a small cafeteria available for spectators to enjoy which serves hot drinks, there are also picnic benches outside. There are also toilets available on site, including a disabled toilet and a baby changing area. Although the parachute landing area is off limits to spectators, they will have a great view of your tandem skydive from the picnic benches. Skydive Headcorn is located on a working farm and dogs are therefore not permitted to attend your skydive.

In the weeks running up to your jump Skydive Headcorn will be in touch with all the necessary information about your jump. If you have any further questions after you’ve received your pre-jump email, please don’t hesitate to contact Robert Grew on robert.grew@pilgrimshospices.org or Skydive Headcorn on 01622 891670 or jump@headcorn.com

Please wear something comfortable and appropriate for the time of year that you are jumping. Trainers are the most appropriate footwear, please do not wear sandals or heels for your tandem skydive. A jumpsuit, hat, gloves and goggles will be provided for your tandem skydive.

Pilgrims Hospices will also provide you with a branded technical t-shirt for your jump. This can either be posted out to you in advance of the jump, or collected on the day from the Pilgrims Hospices representative.